Crossing her arms, Ylona decided to put a stop to the argument: "So it's an interesting expanding cloud of gas, fine. Assuming it's not just some natural cloud, it's still not going to be of any use to us. We're not here to look for super-weapons of any kind, we're here to find Tor, and that search can't start until we're in the Tianquitzli cluster." Under her breath, she adds while adjusting the trajectory slightly again: "Besides, this galaxy doesn't need more ways to kill. What it needs it more ways to stop the others from killing you."

"Given that you haven't yet given neither me nor the Captain a good reason why this is important because of more than curiosity, we're not going to stop there. I will plot a course that will bring us within a few light-hours so you can get some scans. It should at least give the science team a chance to calibrate their instruments before we reach anything important."

Of course, she could see that the Sophon wasn't about to shut up, so when he tried to open his mouth again, she sternly interrupted him: "If you want to change my minds, then you'll wait until the Chief Scientist arrives and discuss it with him, so that he can then discuss this with the senior officers. Insisting on things while you're the lowest ranking person in the room will not do you any good. Unless you have another topic you want to talk about, consider yourself dismissed."

"How does his ego fit inside that small body?", wondered Ylona quietly to herself while Dhanyl marched off the bridge. Sighing, she sat down and adjusted the course until it went close enough to that debris to give him an hour of two of scanning time while it was in sensor range. It wasn't going to cost them much, as it changed their exit and entry angles by a fraction of a degree and maybe added a few megameters to the eccentricity.

Once she was done, she sent the resulting acceleration schedule over to engineering, together with a call via communicator: "Bridge to Engineering. I've sent you the plotted course for you to check over. We'll be gently cruising for the trip, so unless I've made some big error, that shouldn't require even half engine power. Obviously, since this ceremony could go on however long, I'll do the orbital extraction manually. That's why the first acceleration node is a bit away from the planet."

((Don't worry, Darkon, it's all good fun. All the argument is in-character, since Dhanyl managed to step on some toes with that introduction. I'm very happy you are doing quite well with the roleplaying, and that you're so active that I've got to hold myself back with the answering to give the others time to get a word in. Which they still didn't. Where's everyone off to?

Besides, argument aside, you're getting what you asked for. You could still make it story-relevant.))

As Rolak discussed the training schedule and team composition with the Captain, he heard a chime go off in his ear. "One moment Captain. Ven-Vitto, what's going on?" As he listened to the crewmember on the line Rolak gained a somewhat worried look on his face. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, have two men on standby at the entrance and continue to observe." Facing the captain once more he briefed his superior on the situation. 

"Captain one of our cameras has spotted movement in one of the sealed storage bays, I'm about to make my way down there to check it out. Do you know of anything that could be the cause?"

"No, nothing should be moving in the storage bays. There better not be some Sophon down there who just had to examine something that caught his curiosity." He shakes his head as he takes another moment to think of an explanation, but the sealed bays were supposed to be  just that: Sealed.

"This could be a serious issue. I'll come with you. I'm sure Ylona can handle the bridge on her own." He motioned for Rolak to take the lead. As they left the bridge, he spoke up again. "Are you armed right now? Who knows what kind of live cargo they might have misplaced down there."

((Sorry about the long absence. Partly I had been waiting for a reply from Rolak, partly I have been busy. As it turns out, I may not be able to keep up at all in the future, and may end up writing myself out soon. I'm sure I can concoct some reason why the Pilgrim leadership would pull him off the mission at the last moment.))

"Acknowledged,"   Alice's reply only sounded vaguely annoyed as she cut the link.     The engineer sighed; true she was getting tired of running these checks, but distractions meant delays and delays meant lost profit.

After a few taps on her control bracelet, one of her spherical drones exited the relay of charging receptacles she'd installed in her office and, with a few playful beeps, started gliding towards the source of the disruption.

Alice stretched out in her seat, turning off the heat sensors as she lit a cigarette.   It was one of the few vices the ex-pirate allowed herself these days.

The Automaton: Unit 0000 steadily ascended the ramp toward The Savior 's forward loading doors one clanking metallic step at a time. ["Such a pretty hull it wears, the builders certainly had class when it came to aesthetics. And the engines!"] At this thought The Automaton Unit paused in it's stride slightly, It's gaze drawn down the length of the ship toward the rear thrusters. ["So much raw power!"] The pulsing thrum of the engines pulled on Unit 0000 sending a shiver down it's frame and a blast of longing through it's mind. {"So close, and yet so far. What harm could a small taste do?"} ["No!"] The Automaton forcibly pulled it's gaze back toward the top of the ramp. ["I can be stronger, I must be, otherwise I could unwillingly doom myself again."] Unit 0000 squared it's shoulders and stepped forwards, setting in motion an irresistible chain of steps that culminated at the top of the incline. ["This is it"] The Automaton thought to itself as it exchanged a brief back and forth with the ships com systems. ["Showtime"].

"This is The Automaton: Unit 0000, it also answers to 'Zeros' if you find that more convenient. Chief Communications Officer and Assistant Engineer. The Automaton is reporting for duty and requesting permission to come aboard. May I proceed to board?"

"Permission granted, Zeros. Check in with the Chief Engineer down at Engineering, near the power core. She'll be responsible for your work schedule and tasks." After a second of thinking, Ylona adds: "I don't know if you need a bunk, but if you want one, you might want to claim one now before there's only the one left below the fat guy who's snoring loudly. Bridge out."

Sighing, Ylona leaned back in her chair. This wasn't at all what she had imagined the start of the mission to be like. Chances were, the ceremony would start while the Captain was still downstairs chasing whatever rodent was hiding in that sealed storage area. For a second she wondered what would happen if Rolak actually had to fire his weapon while the Pilgrim big-wigs were doing their speeches in front of the ship.

The doors slide open and Zeros transitioned from the stark white exterior into the main corridor of the ship. Calling up a map interface to re-orient it's bearings.

"Roger that, I'll bring my gear to the crew quarters before reporting to Engineering. The comfort afforded by a bunk won't be entirely necessary for this unit, no nerves after all, but it will be useful to have a place to cycle down and rest my processors occasionally. I'm sure it will be a delight working with you... Oh! I'm sorry, I stated my designation, but I never inquired after yours. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

((I'm going to be busy with work and some other stuff for the next 2 days. Just letting you guys know like alien asked us to do.))

"Oh shit", Ylona mutters to herself as she sees the Craver squeezing itself through the bridge door. While she watches the alien carefully for any sudden moves, she carefully raises one of her feet and places her hand on the knife hidden there, hoping the movement to be obscured by the console. It was the only weapon she hadn't checked in at the Armory, because she hardly considered it a weapon. Right now, she wished she'd ignored protocol and just kept her Bolt Caster. But a treacherous thought told her that even with that, she'd be dead, fighting a foe with nearly twice the height and twice as many arms.

However, the creature didn't attack. It look at her, at the control consoles, and then sat down. As she eyed the door, judging whether she'd manage to make it there in time, it suddenly started to speak.

"One moment", she answered as Decius asked about the ship's weaponry. With one hand, she quickly pulled up the crew roster on her console, the other hand still on the knife. There he was. Decius, ship gunner, as he said. She relaxed slightly and put her knife away. Maybe she should have taken the time to actually go through the crew roster when they told her she'd be first mate, so that she could avoid nasty surprises like this.

"Ajandek Ylona, First Mate", she introduces herself while raising her fist to the shoulder. "The crew quarters can be reached with the elevator down the hall. I'm not sure if we've got beds big enough for you, but at least the lockers should be big enough." Eyeing his rather large and misshapen bag and being reminded of her own, she adds: "All weapons that shouldn't be used inside a hull need to be checked in at the Armory, which you'll pass on the way. You technically should also report to the Chief of Security, Rolak, but right now he is busy with a ... situation down in storage, and I'd rather not spook him by sending you as reinforcement. No offense."

The Automaton had turned around as it re-oriented itself toward the back of the ship when The Craver entered from the ramp now in front of Zeros. 

[How did it get up the ramp so fast?], {Did I really miss that behind me?}

After making note of the lack of weaponry being pointed at The Automaton. Zeros attempted to communicate with it in machinetounge, inquiring after its shiprole, and trying to ditermine what direction The Craver was heading in so that Zeros could walk behind or around it, The Craver was facing bridgeside. Starboard on its left. The Automaton was positioned facing engineside. Larboard (Also known as port) on its left; and was, in fact, blocked in moving engineward. Zeros pointed that out, and received silence.Zeros wished to move around the looming being. but The Craver stood in its way. Then, as The Automaton began to move around The Craver, getting as close to the starboard hull as  possible in an attemptto slip past the stoic Craver. A feat that would be useless without The Cravers cooperation... Zeros sent one last request:

“If you move to the side for a moment, I can get past you. We seem to be headed in opposite directions.” 

and received pretty much the same reply as before, a flat, blank, stare. The Craver pulled in a massive bag, slammed its head into the ceiling, and marched bridgeward, assuredly, down the middle of the corridor. Making no similar attempt to avoid The Automaton, and bumping into it as a side-effect.

{Rude} 

“Oh well, they won't all be pleasant.” 

Zeros muttered to The Automaton. 

“The being from Bridge can handle it without a warning, Zeros should send one, but The Automaton should call Our boss. Zeros really needs to learn more about the other beings The Automaton will be living and working with.”

Zeros peeled The Automatons frame from the wall and opened a line to Engineering as it strolled engineward, past where The Craver had been standing, 

“Hello, Engineering? This is the Communications Officer “Zeros”, The Automaton Unit-0000, reporting for duty as Assistant Engineer. Who am I reporting to? And how may I be of assistance in preparation for launch?”